Play pen



Nov. 2, 1937. F. AUTY PLAY PEN Filed Feb. 11, 1936 INVENT R FRANK 4V7? BY A 2% ORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE z.oa1,m

my can 7 Frank Anti, Uttle Neck, N. Y. Application February 11, 1936, Serial No. cases IClaim.

This invention relates to play pens for children.

Special objects are to provides. play pen in a form which maybe rolled up or folded into 5 small compass, enabling it to be conveniently carried about and which may be quickly and easily set up for use and to then form a safe and entirely practical enclosure for the child.

Further special objects are to provide a pen L particularly for beach use andthe like, which can be supported and anchored in position by setting it partly in the Sandor earth, and which thereby will utilize this supporting medium as a foundation and partly as a means for maintaining the pen in the extended position of use.

Other objects and the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts which go to make up the invention are set forth or will become apparent as the specification pro- 30 ceeds.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates a practical embodiment of the invention, but it should be understood that the precise structure may be modified 5 to suit special requirements, all within the true intent and broad scope of the claim.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the pen as set up on the ground, in the condition of use. Fig. 2 is a broken plan and Fig. 3 is a broken 0 side elevation showing on an enlarged scale details of the corner construction.

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged broken sectional detail as on line 44 of Fig. 3.

As shown particularly in Fig. l, the pen com- 5 prises in a preferred embodiment, four corner posts 5, 5, I, 8, connected in definitely spaced relation by upper and lower flexible fabric strips 9, l0, carrying spaced slats II.

The corner posts are shown as sharpened or 0 pointed to a suitable extent at their lower ends at i2, so that they may be readily forced into the sand or other supporting medium. The flexible connecting strips 9 and iii, are shown as fixedly attached to the corner posts by suitable fastenings l3, so that when fully spread these strips will hold the posts spaced in the form of a certain sizerectangle. These strips therefore act as a guide in setting up the device, determining the extent to which the posts can be separated.

When set up as described, the earth acts as a means for holding the lower ends of the posts fixedly spaced. The upper ends of the posts are then secured fixedly spaced in substantially the same relation by a set of four spreader bars i4,

(oi. est-2s) It, I, I1, detachably engaged with the upper ends, of the posts.

In the present disclosure, these spreaders carry at their ends the loops or screw eyes l8, of a size to drop down over the rounded upper ends 5 of the posts. To temporarily secure them in this relation, retaining lugs or buttons l9, are provided on the posts, placed to overlie the upper one of each pair of these loops. Thus as shown in Fig. 3, this retainer, which may simply be the l rounded head of an appropriate tack or nail, will overstand the upper of the two loops i8, and form an obstruction sufiicient to prevent accidental or unintentional lifting of either of the two spreader bars meeting at that corner. If desired,

these parts may be related or constructed so that these rings or loops will have to be sprung more or less over this retainer element. As indicated in this Fig. 3, the lower spreader bar it, may rest on the upper edge of the upper fabric 0 strip 9, and the second spreader bar l5, may be supported to some extent at least by the ring i8, at the end'of this bar resting on the ring it, at the end of the lower bar.

The connecting strips 9 and I0, may be made of doubled lengthsof material arranged with the doubled edge of the upper strip at the top and the doubled edge of the lower strip at the bottom to form the cavities or channels 20, for the ends of the slats II, as in Fig. 4. Stitching 2! may be run in at opposite sides of the inserted ends 01 the slats to form positioning pockets for the same and to prevent the slats coming out of these pock- I ets, fastenings, such as the tubular rivets and washers 22, 23, may be inserted and fastened through the pockets and slats as in Fig. 4.

The pen may be used with or without a bottom member. It is frequently desirable to have some sort of a bottom protection and this is indicated as a layer of canvas or other fabric 24, having holes 25, at the corners of the same for passage of the posts. This bottom member is of considerable practical aid in setting up the pen, showing when laid on the ground, the positions where the posts are to be inserted to properly set up the pen. This flexible bottom rug or mat also bracesthe posts by preventing spreading movement of the same and this in turn prevents improper stretching of the lower post connecting strip in. When the posts are forced down firmly so over the bottom member, the lower connecting strip in will contact and be partly supported by the bottom member.

The pen can be quickly set up on the beach, lawn or other surface, by simply forcing the posts in the ground and then engaging the ends of the spreader bars over the upper ends of the posts. Conversely, the pen is as easily taken down by lifting the spreader bars oi! the posts and then pulling the posts out of the ground. The connected posts and slats may then be rolled into a. compact bundle and to this bundle may be added and rolled in with the flexible strips, the spreader bars. The latter, if desired, however may be made up as a separate bundle. The bottom sheet, if present, may be used as a cover or carrier for the folded pen structure. The structure is simple and durable and is free of all parts that might injure a child. The opposite ends of the spaced vertical slats are fully protected by being enclosed in the channels in the upper and lower connecting strips.

What is claimed is:

A play pen comprising corner posts adaptedto be driven into the ground, a lower flexible strip secured to the lower portions 01' said posts and limiting the separation of the same when the posts are driven into the ground, an upper flexible strip secured to the upper portions of said posts and similarly limiting the spreading movement of the upper ends of the posts, vertical slats secured in spaced relation to said upper and lower flexible strips to form with said strips open side walls about the pen, rigid top bars separate from the upper flexible connecting strip and of a length to flt between the corner posts in the spaced relation of the same, loops at the opposite ends of said top bars to pass down over the upper ends of the corner posts and detent means for holding said loops thus engaged over the comer posts but readily releasable to permit the removal of the top bars and thebundling together oithe corner p'osts connected by said upper and lower flexible strips, said upper flexible strips being positioned on the posts to form flexible supports for said post spacing top bars and said detent means including members projecting from the a corner posts and 'engageable over said loops to,

retain the spacing bars thus yieldingly supported on the upper flexible strips.

FRANK AUTY. 

